TheLittleTwentieth – Renowned Papers Edition, AI Infused

Local sources from United Kingdom: Al Jazeera English, Reuters.
UK coverage: Al Jazeera English.

As the COP28 climate summit enters its final week, deep divisions over the future of oil and gas have emerged. The head of OPEC has urged members to reject any agreement that “targets” fossil fuels, while at least 80 countries are demanding a COP28 agreement that calls for an eventual end to the use of fossil fuels. The draft agreement includes options for a phase-out of fossil fuels, but there are concerns that the text could be watered down.

Climate campaigners have welcomed the draft agreement, which includes options for the phase out of fossil fuels, but fear the text could be watered down. Romain Ioualalen, global policy manager of the advocacy group Oil Change International, said that the latest text “shows we have never been closer to an agreement on a fossil fuel phaseout.” Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, said that the “bare bones of a historic agreement is there.”

In a letter dated December 6 and seen by Reuters, OPEC Secretary-General Haitham al-Ghais urged OPEC members to reject any deal targeting fossil fuels rather than emissions. He said that “the undue and disproportionate pressure against fossil fuels may reach a tipping point with irreversible consequences.”

COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber urged delegates from nearly 200 countries to set aside their differences to achieve a deal. “Let’s please get this job done,” he said. “I need you to step up, and I need you to come out of your comfort zones.”

The UN climate agency’s chief Simon Stiell reminded countries that the science behind the world’s goal of holding warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of pre-industrial temperatures is clear. “From the planet’s perspective, 1.5 is a tangible limit. It is not simply a choice,” he said.

Ugandan climate justice activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Vanessa Nakate warned that if leaders don’t have the courage to agree upon a fossil fuel phase-out, it will put in question the credibility of the entire COP process.

With countries still divided, a representative of the powerful G77+China bloc of developing countries said the “phase-down/phase-out” language needed to be rewritten. “The issue is more complex,” said Paulo Pedroso, a Cuban diplomat representing the group of 134 developing countries. “When you just refer to phase-down, phase-out, that looks a little bit out of context to me. Because people don’t understand what you mean.”

Canada’s environment minister Steven Guilbeault said he was confident the final text would include an agreement on fossil fuels. “Even if it’s not as ambitious as some would want, it will still be a historic moment,” he said.

As the COP28 summit comes to a close, it is clear that the future of fossil fuels will be a major point of contention. With the science of climate change clear, it is up to the world’s leaders to decide how to move forward in the fight against global warming.